Bus drivers play a critical role in the safe transportation of students to and from home and school. Because of this, specific certifications and requirements must be met by the State of Ohio. Ohio school bus drivers are required to have a minimum of four hours of annual in-service training. In order to fulfill this requirement, all local area bus drivers are invited to Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center to learn about relevant topics for school transportation. The in-service will take place August 5th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Presentations will be given by Mike Redfern, North Region Pre-Service Instructor; Ohio State Patrol Trooper Sharon Papineau from the Office of Field Operation; Vanessa Wagner, yoga instructor; and Sandy Hovest, who will present on bloodborne pathogens. 

To register for this in-service, go to www.moesc.net/register. There is no cost for bus drivers of Mid-Ohio ESC client districts. Others must pay a $40 fee. Anyone with questions can call Mid-Ohio ESC at (419) 774-5520 or email events@moesc.net.

As the start of the 2021/2022 school year approaches, the need for substitute teachers is great. Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is looking for substitute teachers to work in a number of area school districts. 

Steve Earnest, Mid-Ohio ESC Executive Director, said substitute teachers play a vital role in the education of our children. “When a substitute teacher can’t be found, schools will often ask full-time teachers to give up their planning hour in order to fill in. This has a negative effect on the teacher’s ability to plan their class effectively, ultimately affecting students as well. Substitute teachers step in and lighten that load while ensuring that each student receives quality instruction while their formal teacher is away.”

In order to be accepted as a substitute teacher in Ohio, candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education. To work within Mid-Ohio ESC’s client districts, candidates must submit a Substitute Teachers application and pay the $22.00 application fee. The application fee can be paid online, a check can be mailed-in, or you may pay in the office by check, cash ($22.00 exactly, no change will be made) or credit card. Candidates must also have a current BCI/FBI background check.  Fingerprinting for a background check can be completed at the Mid-Ohio ESC office for a fee.

Other important information, including downloadable applications, can be found at Mid-Ohio ESC’s website: https://www.moesc.net/vnews/display.v/SEC/ESC%20Services%7CSubstitute%20Teachers.

After being accepted for a substitute position with Mid-Ohio ESC, candidates must apply for a substitute teacher license through the Ohio Department of Education, unless they already hold a current teaching license. This step must not be done prior to completing the employment process at Mid-Ohio ESC; otherwise, the license application will be declined. 

Potential candidates with questions can call Mid-Ohio ESC at 419-774-5520.

REGISTER HERE

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is proud to host the Ohio Resident Educator Mentor Training on September 22nd and 29th, which will be held virtually. This training provides educators with opportunities to reflect on how their instruction and assessment practices impact student learning. This system of support includes working with a state-certified mentor. 

This is a hybrid training, requiring participants to access both the ODE Learning Management System and the Zoom meetings held by the Mid-Ohio ESC. In order to be certified as a Resident Educator mentor, participants will engage in eight hours of self-guided online work over a two-week period and participate in two 2-hour Zoom meetings. An optional 60-minute virtual orientation meeting will be held on September 15, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. Access information will be forwarded to all participants in an email with other course materials and information.

The first day introduces participants to mentoring in Ohio’s Resident Educator Program, with particular emphasis on the Mentor/Resident Educator relationship. During the second day, educators are introduced to first year curricular responsibilities of instructional mentors and Resident Educators in Ohio’s Resident Educator Program. Both days of training will start at 4:30 p.m. and end at 6:30 p.m.

The training will be conducted by ODE Resident Educator Credentialed Trainers Linda Williams and Lisa Kuhar. Interested teachers can sign up via STARS on the Ohio Department of Education website. If you need help registering, contact STARS.SUPPORT@education.ohio.gov. The cost is $125. Participants must also email their name and training dates to Linda Williams at lwilliamsmentoracademy@gmail.com in order to receive important information regarding online work that is required prior to the first web-meeting date. 

Summer may be in full swing, but Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center staff have been hard at work setting up the student events calendar for the 2021/2022 school year. Academic Challenge, local and area spelling bees, and the Artapolooza art festival will all be returning.

Academic Challenge has been something students from 4th through 12th grade have looked forward to every year. Students compete as teams, answering questions about a wide range of topics including literature, fine arts, geography, history, math, and science.

4th grade (Elementary)
Dates: January 12 and March 10
(evenings)
Location: Mid-Ohio ESC
Client members: $30
Non-client members: $100

5th grade (Elementary)
Dates: January 11 and March 9
(evenings)
Location: Mid-Ohio ESC
Client members: $30
Non-client members: $100

6th grade (Elementary)
Dates: January 26, March 15
(evenings) and May 10 (day)
Location: Mid-Ohio ESC
Client members: $45
Non-client members: $150

7th-8th grade (Middle School)
Dates: January 27, March 16
(evenings) and May 11 (day)
Location: Mid-Ohio ESC
Client members: $45
Non-client members: $150

High School League
Fall Dates: October 25,
November 1, November 8 (or 15)
Winter Dates: February 14, 
February 28, March 7
Location: Varies

High School Tournaments
Dates: November 19 (day),
March 11 (day)
Location: Mid-Ohio ESC
(contact us for cost)

For more information on Academic Challenge, contact Leanna Ferreira at ferreira.leanna@moesc.net.

Spelling bees will be part of Mid-Ohio ESC’s mid-winter student activities, and Mid-Ohio will be hosting two local bees and one area bee. The Crawford and Morrow County combined bee will take place January 13, 2022 at 10 am. There is no cost for Client/Member districts, but Non-client/Members have a fee of $100. The Richland County bee will be January 20, 2022 at 10 am. Again, there are no costs for Client/Member districts, but Non-client/Members have a fee of $100. To wrap up bee season, the Tri-County Final will take place February 10, 2022 at 10 am. For more information on Mid-Ohio’s spelling bees, contact Leah Barger at barger.leah@moesc.net.

A highlight of the spring has always been the Artapolooza art festival. As in years previous, Artapolooza showcases all types of visual art projects: paintings, drawings, sculptures, as well as mixed media and digital arts from area students. Festival dates will be April 1 - April 7, 2022 and take place at Mid-Ohio ESC. There is no cost for Client/Member districts, but Non-client/Members have a fee of $200. For more information on Artapolooza, contact Jennifer Pennell, pennell.jennifer@moesc.net.

Area educators and educational administrators are invited to join Mid-Ohio Education Service Center on Monday, August 2, 2021, for their Fall Administrative Conference, titled “Relentless Accountability.” The conference will take place at the Mid-Ohio Conference Center, 890 W. 4th Street in Mansfield, with registration starting at 7:30 a.m. and the conference starting at 8 a.m. and concluding at 4 p.m.

There are three featured keynote speakers for the event: Richie Contartesi and Dr. Kevin S. Miller and Nicole Donovsky, Esq.

Richie Contartesi earned a full Division-1 football scholarship to the University of Mississippi as a walk-on. Despite grinding through three years of grueling physical practices, failure, rejection, and ridicule, his tenacity earned him the right to be a starter, a respected teammate, and became a Division-1 football scholarship athlete in the the SEC. He also went on to earn the SEC Scholar Athlete award. Over the past 5 years, Richie has spoken in 48 states at over 460 schools with hundreds of thousands of students, educators, and parents. He understands the climate and culture students thrive in and don’t thrive in. His topic is The Ultimate Leadership Playbook: A New Opportunity to Make a Bigger Impact Through Change.

Dr. Kevin S. Miller and Nicole Donovsky, Esq. will be presenting Legislative and Legal Update: Legal Stuff You Need to Know. Dr. Miller is the Director of Governmental Relations at the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. During his tenure as superintendent of Ottawa Hills, the school consistently ranked as Ohio’s top school district. Ottawa Hills was the only district to receive all A’s for four consecutive years on the Ohio Department of Education’s Local Report Card. Ms. Donovsky is partner at Bricker & Eckler, LLP and chief legal counsel to the Buckeye Association of School Administrators. 

There will also be breakout sessions on the following topics:

• Legislative and Legal Updates
• Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
• Special Education
• Communication and Marketing
• Social and Emotional/Behavioral Supports
• Leadership

Members of client districts can attend for $50. For those participating from a non-client district, the cost is $100. The registration deadline is July 19th, after that date no refunds will be given. Register at www.moesc.net/adminconference. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. 

OPES 2.0 Bridge

This training supports evaluators who have been trained/credentialed in the existing OPES, but need the required one-day bridge training for OPES 2.0

Tuesday,  August 10, 2021 - 8:00 am till 3:00 pm

or

Tuesday, September 28, 2021- 8:00 am till 3:00 pm

Cost is $100.00 

OPES 2.0 New

This training supports evaluators who have never been trained/credentialed in the current OPES,

and are preparing to evaluate in district transitioning to OPES 2.0 in 2021-2022

Two day training from 8:00 am till 3:00 pm each day

Wednesday, August 11 and Thursday, August 12, 2021 

or

Wednesday, September 29 and Thursday, September 30,2021

Cost is 175.00

OSCES

Ohio School Counselor Standards and Evaluation

Thursday, September 9, 2021 - 8:00 am until 3:00 pm

Cost is $125.00

Register at STARS  OH|ID 

View the flyer for more information       

September flyer

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is providing client districts the opportunity to learn from the comforts of their own home. There are two options, the first are several book studies utilizing Google Classroom, while the second is an a la carte menu of choices that present information in various formats before asking the participant to apply their learning to their classroom. 

Sherri Richter, Gifted Educational Consultant and book study designer says, “We are able to give them the tools that enable them to nurture and meet the needs of their gifted students on their own timetable.” All of these opportunities are free to those districts in the Mid-Ohio ESC gifted model. Educators can use these resources to earn gifted hours and also earn credit hours from Ashland University for an additional fee. 

Those interested can read through the summaries and decide what is of most interest to them or what best meets the needs of the gifted students in their classroom. Each assignment ranges from one hour of PD to five hours of PD, while book studies are 15 hours of PD. 
 
The first book study, Teaching Gifted Kids in Today’s Classroom from Susan Winebrenner, opens up June 1st and is available through August 15th. Other books slated for the year include Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education, Thinking Like a Lawyer, and Intelligent Life in the Classroom.

Leanna Ferreira, Mid-Ohio ESC Gifted Educational Consultant, said this method has been a real success. “Each year we have teachers share with us their appreciation for the quality of information they learn within an easy format.  This is one of the most rewarding aspects of our role as we are positively impacting the growth of not only gifted learners, but all learners.”
 
A teacher in a recent study said they highly enjoyed the learning and the format. “Not only did I earn an AU credit, but I was able to laugh, relax, and learn more about my gifted learners and how to increase their engagement in my classroom.”

Although anyone is able to participate, these resources are specifically designed to provide professional development to teachers who are serving gifted students. Interested educators can sign up for these opportunities at www.moesc.net/register. Anyone with questions about any of the professional development or registration can contact Leanna Ferreira at 419-774-5520 ex. 2481 or by emailing ferreira.leanna@moesc.net.